Whitmire

Walter L. Whitmire, 83, of Ridge Road, Butler, passed away Sunday evening at his residence.

He was born Oct. 10, 1926, in Center Township and was the son of Lester P. and Elizabeth M. Hagmen Whitmire.

First he was a heavy equipment operator. He then worked at and retired from Armco, where he was a crane operator for 22 years.

He belonged to the Unionville Grange.

He was an avid Farmall tractor collector and had fully restored six antique Farmall/McCormick Derring tractors and owned many more, all of which he showed at many antique tractor shows with his family doing the driving of them in the parades. He showed his tractors at the Saegertown, Mercer County, Penns Cave, Brownsville and the Portersville steam shows. He restored a Bantam drag line, which he showed and operated at the shows of the Historical Construction Equipment Association, to which he belonged.

He is survived by three sons, William L. (Joy) Whitmire of Slippery Rock, Gerald L. Whitmire of Ambridge and Lester "Bud" P. (Sandy) Whitmire of Boyers; two daughters, Judy (Bob) Powell of Prospect and Nancy (Frank) Rodgers of Mount Chestnut; six grandchildren, Sherri Lipka, Kay Kies and Lori (Travis) Beachem, all of Butler, Brian (Trisha) Frank of Prospect, Amy (Tom) Downing of Ellwood City and Matthew (Amy) Whitmire of Rural Valley; 11 great-grandchildren, Shayne Lipka, Brittany and Jobe Kies, Reese and Brian Downing, Wyatt Frank, Blake Wilhite, Jayme Creedon, Brock and Trent Beachem and Landon Whitmire.

He also is survived by one sister, Ruth Purdue of Titusville, Fla.; a brother-in-law, Jack (Carol) Rinker of Prospect; and two sisters-in- law, Clara McElhaney of Latrobe and Betty Whitmire of Butler.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Ruby Rinker Whitmire, who he married Oct. 28, 1946, and who passed away Aug. 13, 2005; an infant daughter, Linda Elaine Whitmire; one granddaughter, Joni Elizabeth Whitmire; two brothers; and two sisters.

<B>WHITMIRE</B> — Friends of Walter L. Whitmire, who died Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the <B>Edward L. Raisley Funeral Home</B>, 387 Main St., Prospect. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with the Rev. Gerald Whitmire, his son, officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery.For more information or to leave an online condolence go to raisleyfuneralhome.com.